


Movie Night

by thenostalgicdreamer



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Classic Movies - Freeform, F/M, Movie Night, little women - Freeform, sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 00:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16294553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenostalgicdreamer/pseuds/thenostalgicdreamer
Summary: Smackle isn't too pleased when Zay insists on her least favorite movie for movie night.





	Movie Night

Smackle wouldn’t have thought that she would get roped into watching an adaption of Little Women. She hated the book because who likes a book that is all about a girl learning to be content without freedom that she would have had had she lived in the twenty-first century? No, Jo March deserved better and reading about her fate just made Smackle mad. She had successfully managed to avoid all of the many Little Women adaptations until Zay had pulled out the ’94 version tonight for movie night. She had tried to recommend something else, but he was firm and wouldn’t take no for an answer. They were watching Little Women. 

As the opening credits rolled, she couldn’t help wondering how she, the least sappy girl in the world, had ended up with the sappiest boyfriend. How many high school boys even knew chick flicks let alone wanted to watch them? But no, Zay not only enjoyed chick flicks but was the one who suggested them. Video games and chick flicks—that was how he rolled, he always said. Fortunately, it wasn’t all bad. She usually did like the movies better than she thought she would, and knowing the latest “girl” movies gave the ability to talk intelligibly when her friends brought up movies.

Zay’s excitement about Little Women, though, was driving her nuts. He droned on and on about how majesty Winona Rider was as Jo and how much he loved young Christian Bale. She couldn’t see how she was going to like it when she didn’t even like the story.

They had barely made it into the sixth scene—she liked to count things when she was bored—when she couldn’t hold the complaining in anymore. “This isn’t working, Zay,” she said getting up off the couch. “I’m not going to watch 90 minutes of Jo trying to make herself into a person she’s not because she doesn’t have any darn choices.” 

“Izzy…look, you can already see her talent coming out already,” he replied in an excited tone eyes still on the tv.

She started to walk away wondering how long it would be until he realized she had left and followed her. It wasn’t long. She watched him pause the tv and walk up beside her and put his arm around her. “I really want you to give this another try. We’re barely getting started.” 

She started to complain again, but he interrupted. “Wait here,” he said taking his hands off her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” 

He left in a hurry, and she paced around the room wondering where he was going. 

In a moment, he returned carrying a worn book with many dog-eared pages. He sat down on the couch with a plop and beckoned for her to come over. When she sat down beside him, he was flipping through the pages. Looking over his shoulder, she saw enough to confirm that it was a copy of Little Women. After a moment, he had obviously found the page he was looking for because he stuck his finger in, closed the book, and turned to look at her. “It’s a little beat up. It’s well loved, you know,” he said by way of explanation. “My mama got me this the birthday I turned thirteen, and the first time I read it, I fell in love with Jo March.” The look in his eyes softened, and a smile stretched across his face. “She’s so bold and strong and talented, and she’s not afraid to be different from everyone else.” 

Smackle felt like rolling her eyes. Here was Zay with the sap again. He was wrong if he thought a little sap was going to change her mind. “And she has to live a miserable existence because she was born in the freaking 1800s!” she exclaimed rather loudly.

“No, no, I don’t know if you realized it when you read it, but she’s happy when the book ends. She doesn’t have to change who she is. She just smooths off the rough edges, and then the beauty that’s been inside the whole time shines. Listen to this.” He opened the book and began reading. “‘I want to do something splendid…something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I don’t know what, but I’m on the watch for it and mean to astonish you all someday’.” He closed the book gently. “And she does that when she writes their story. The book isn’t about the limitations of the 1800s. It’s about Jo knowing she has a destiny and not giving up until she finds it. And along the way, life forces her to open up, and let her soul shine more and more. I think that’s very beautiful.” 

“I’m glad you like it, Zay,” she forced herself to say. “It sounds like it has inspired you.” 

“Yes, it has….” He looked at her intently and reached for her hand. “You’re Jo March, Isadora Smackle ‘strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea’. I want you to see this because I want you to see how I see you—bold and strong and talented and unafraid of being different from everyone else. You’ve already been smoothing off the rough edges, and your soul shines more than it did the day I met you. You need to own your beauty. When you are who you are, it makes the world more beautiful.” 

“Okay,” she conceded and let him place a blanket on her lap and settle down right beside her with his hand in hers. She wasn’t sure she’d enjoy the movie, but she still felt chills at the thought that she reminded Zay of the character he had fallen in love with when he was thirteen. It didn’t get much sweeter than that.


End file.
